


A Story About...

by AssortedHeroes



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Slavery, Bill Cipher Being Bill Cipher, Bill Cipher is a Jerk, Bisexual Character, Blood Magic, Human Bill Cipher, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Interspecies Relationship(s), Mild Blood, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Multi, Non-Sexual Slavery, Nonbinary Character, Occult, Pansexual Character, Physical Abuse, Possessive Bill Cipher, Post-Weirdmageddon, Rating May Change, Slave Trade, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 20:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15692586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssortedHeroes/pseuds/AssortedHeroes
Summary: To atone for his crimes against the town of Gravity Falls, dream demon Bill Cipher has been forced into a shameful form and sent to the bottom of the extradimensional social hierarchy. The only way to climb up the ranks and perhaps even regain his old power is to obey the old laws - the laws of demons' pets.In the aftermath of Weirdmageddon, Tiana Matthews has more-or-less returned to her normal life as a café waitress. However, strange dreams of a giant reptile and a seven-eyed creature begin to plague her in the following weeks. In order to uncover the truth, she must reunite with the one person she was hoping she wouldn't need to see again - her old frenemy Bill Cipher.As bonds are forged and worlds collide, Tiana and Bill discover the complexity of their own relationship, starting with the girl's strange affinity for cryptic magic and blood rituals.{Of A.}





	1. Prologue

This is a story about love. 

This is a story about regret. 

This is a story about fear. 

This is a story about hope.

\- 

Somewhere in the multiverse, at any one moment in time, one being is always kidnapping and enslaving another. The lesser being may or may not have rights and autonomy. They may be able to regain their freedom without enraging their new captor and in fact, with their blessing. They may be doomed to stay forever in a hell of another's design. It all depends on the master; that is the way of the chaos of the realms of demons and monsters. 

Some creatures enjoy the process and flaunt their thralls when the gatherings are held, while others find it a repulsive business and stay out of it altogether. 

This story is about one demon who was neither interested in nor filled with hatred for the interdimensional slave trade. He was simply sentenced to participation. 

\- 

In the middle of darkness, a yellow figure in chains appeared. 

A triangle, with a pattern of bricks on the lower body, a bow-tie, a top hat, and noodle limbs that were trapped in glowing blue links. He groaned softly, kneeling somewhere in the void, and a singular eye opened. His immortal mind raced, perfect neurons firing over and over as his last memory replayed itself. 

Stanley Pines, standing in the middle of his own burning mind, punching him into oblivion. 

Bill Cipher, on some primal level, knew why he was here. This was the time and space between time and space, the judgement chamber of the cosmos, where the All-Powerful decided the fate of the weak and criminal. 

Except Bill wasn't weak. He was near-omnipotent, a chessmaster, a broker of knowledge. He could break someone's mind with a snap of his finger. He wasn't _weak._

In his mind, he shouldn't be here. 

Gradually, as the chained demon fumed silently in the void, he became aware of sound around him. It was a low humming noise, without a recognizable source, but clear in tone. Stars blinked into existence around him one by one, and then, the All-Powerful Axolotl appeared in a gentle glow of pinks and blues. He was a beautiful and terrible creature, reptilian and perpetually smiling. 

Bill snarled. "SO YOU FINALLY DECIDE TO TALK TO ME AFTER ALL THESE CENTURIES. GOTTA SAY, AXOL, YOU'RE A TOUGH BEING TO GET AHOLD OF." 

The Axolotl knew it was a farce. Bill was, in no way, looking forward to this. Neither was the Axolotl. He spoke the true name of Bill Cipher, the two-dimensional dream demon, and the cosmos shuddered. 

"YEAH, YEAH. TRY AND SCARE ME ALL YOU WANT." Bill rolled his eye, but his chains were clanking with his trembling. "WHAT DO YOU WANT? I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY HERE." 

The Axolotl sighed. "You stand here in judgement. Your attempted invasion of Dimension 46'\ through a rift between it and the decaying Nightmare Realm is the most recent and most grievous of your crimes. Among others, you are charged with destruction of your home dimension-" 

"THAT WASN'T ME. THE FIRE BURNED EVERYTHING." There was something in Bill's tone that betrayed a small note of fear. 

"A fire that you started. You are also charged with the unlawful hunting of refugees within the Nightmare Realm, and with attempted time-space manipulation on a galactic scale, and with the murder of the Time Baby." The Axolotl tilted his head down just slightly to regard Bill more closely. "Do you deny these charges?" 

Below, Bill lunged forward, but the glowing blue chains stopped him. He cursed, then laughed. "YOU REALLY THINK I'LL DENY MY WEIRDMAGEDDON? THAT WAS A GOOD THING! A PARTY THAT WOULD NEVER END! THOSE PESTS IN THE NIGHTMARE REALM WERE WORTHLESS, TOO. THEY SHOULD'VE KNOWN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN THEY GOT THEMSELVES TRAPPED THERE. AND NOW THEY'LL BE THERE FOREVER, UNTIL THAT PATHETIC DIMENSION COLLAPSES IN ON ITSELF, AND I'LL BE OUT HERE, DANDY AS DAY. OR YOU'LL HAVE ME BLASTED INTO NOTHINGNESS. EITHER WAY, YOU CAN'T SAVE THEM." 

"You admit to your crimes." The Axolotl shifted and turned his face above. For a count of seventy-three, he stared into the distance, then focused his attention back on the prisoner. Once again, he spoke the true name of the deceiver. "After careful deliberation, your punishment will not be oblivion. You will be stripped of your powers and privileges as a Lord of Chaos and Dreams. You are sentenced to the masses of demons and beasts in the Realm of Sorrow. The lowest caste of the free. You may choose one mortal being to be your companion and servant, bound to you only until you restore yourself to that which you once were." 

The emotions radiating outward from the triangle shifted from anger to offense to sheer and utter despair. "NO. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. I INVOKED YOU!" 

"And that invocation is the only reason your fate is to die another day." 

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! THEY'LL MOCK ME, THEY'LL NEVER LET ME CLIMB THE RANKS!" 

Suddenly, the Axolotl's voice boomed out as if from dozens of places at once. "Then you will stay a sad, penniless thief! Your only chance to redeem yourself is to work for it! Blood, sweat, tears! You have done things to the multiverse nearly unspeakable to mortals! This leniency is only awarded to you for your moment of clarity in calling my name in your last moments!" 

The cosmos fell silent. Were the pair beings with lungs, they would have been panting. 

Finally, Bill grumbled. "FINE, THEN. DO WHAT YOU WANT. I'LL REGAIN MY FORMER GLORY ONE DAY AND THEN, YOU'LL SEE." 

The Axolotl disregarded the threat. "The final part of your punishment is a change in your form. Only in times of great need will this two-dimensional shape be yours to use. Until such a time arises..." 

With a wordless cry, Bill Cipher's triangular form began to ripple, bubble, and morph. His limbs elongated and thickened, his main body thinning, and a true head sprouted from the top of his new trunk. He was screaming, writhing in the pain of his very _essence_ being forced to change. 

When all was said and done, a naked humanoid form hung in chains in the void, panting and whimpering heavily. Steam rose from pale skin and sweat dripped from blond-brown hair. 

The Axolotl studied the poor creature below him, then spoke softly. "You will be provided a space for your companion to stay with you. It will change to fit their needs. Find this mortal before a week passes." 

The cosmos grew dark, and Bill Cipher winked out of existence. 

\- 

This is a story about hope. 

This is a story about trials. 

This is a story about forgiveness. 

This is a story about pain.

\- 

In the Void of Chaos, a cottage will drift along without an anchor. 

Within, an unbreakable bond will be forged between demon and mortal, man and woman. 

She will fall to her knees in fear, and swear to belong to him for as long as he wishes to hold her in his service. 

He will accept, and begin to hold her name, her soul, her very being as his own. 

They will begin something that should not shake the cosmos, but somehow, shall regardless. 

\- 

This is a story about bonds.

This is a story about friendship. 

This is a story about hope. 

This is a story about love.


	2. Ch 1: Bad Dreams, Friends, and Enemies

# Paranormal Investigators!

## Forums

### Category: Mental Disturbances

#### Thread: Weird ass dreams

##### >>If your dream's out of the ordinary, put it here and talk about it. idgaf. it's not that complicated. -dreamkxxpr 

###### Weird Dreams in my Small Town - OWLET408 - 9:43 AM, 17 September, 2012

> I'm not a person who ever really has bad dreams. I never dream much at all, as a matter of fact. My mind is a blank slate when I fall asleep. 
> 
> People have always told me, _You probably just don't remember your dreams,_ but I don't think that's the case. After reading up on the idea, I'm convinced that I actually don't dream, and that it has something to do with the strangeness of my current hometown, Gravity Falls, Oregon. 
> 
> Gravity Falls has long been something of a hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest, but I guess maybe calling it a "gem" isn't the best way to describe it. It's a small town with small-minded folks, faulty cell service, and not even a community college. It's the type of place where nothing seems to change much over a hundred years, only the slight differences between generations of families. 
> 
> Its only potential claim to fame is its status as a natural weirdness magnet. 
> 
> For as long as I've lived here (and as far as I know from research, much, much longer) Gravity Falls has been teeming with biological and spatial anomalies and seemingly supernatural occurrences. I've almost been trampled by a herd of Manotaurs more than once on a hike, and my one experience with the forest's gnomes was enough for me to start carrying pepper spray all the time. 
> 
> Luckily for me, I have this natural interest in tracking down otherworldly things, whether they're living beings or objects. I absolutely love to learn about things that seem like secrets to the rest of the world. That's what led me to Gravity Falls after I left home, and more recently, into the path of a pair of young twins. Let's call them D and M. Their summertime guardian runs a tourist trap, where a couple of friends of mine work. On a hunt for evidence of fairies, I bumped into D, who in turn introduced me to his twin sister. 
> 
> They were good kids, smart, sweet. Dipper shared my interest in the paranormal, but M was an absolute joy to be around, so I couldn't really decide whether I had a favorite. 
> 
> Along with D, I started researching dreams and the mysteries surrounding them. D warned me about a demon that could enter dreams, and I kind of thought that maybe, something like that could be why I so rarely had any dreams. 
> 
> After all, I'd already met one, long ago. 
> 
> When I was younger, I used to be...obsessed with triangles. It wasn't like I just liked shapes, because I liked other shapes just fine. I just had this weird obsession with anything with three sides. 
> 
> Then, when I was...I don't know, fourteen? I was looking for my first job, and I fell asleep while waiting for the bus to come get me. That was the first dream I had that I can remember. I was in a white void, just floating there, and then I started seeing a bunch of colors. Blue and pink. It was like I was in space! 
> 
> And then, there was this...giant lizard thing. It was just floating there, with a stupid, silly grin on its face. And when it spoke to me, it wasn't with words. I don't know how to describe it except I felt...really happy. 
> 
> The dream changed, though. The void turned black, and a glowing yellow triangle appeared. He told me his name and asked if I wanted to make a deal. I said, sure. It was a dream, so what could go wrong? He'd be my friend, and in exchange, he could call on me whenever he needed a big favor, or a bunch of small ones. We shook hands. There was some blue fire. 
> 
> Then I woke up, and a few days later, I couldn't remember anything. 
> 
> Time passed and eventually, I ended up in Gravity Falls. I was sixteen. I had my own place. Then, out of nowhere, the demon just showed up in my kitchen. I recognized him, even though I didn't know from where. We just kind of...started being friends from there. Our weird friendship basically consisted of us picking on each other, but I was fine with that. At least I had someone to pick on, and if getting picked on in return was a favor to him, it wasn't so bad. After a year or so, he started visiting me less and less. Said he was busy. 
> 
> I'm nineteen now, and the only reason I'm even posting this is because...I had the dream again, sort of. The reptile was there, but it made me feel sad instead of happy. And the triangle was there, too, but he was crying. He was screaming. I know why, because I know he's real and I've met him outside of dreams, and I know what's happened to him up to a point (long story). 
> 
> My concern is how I was able to see it in the first place. 
> 
> This guy is a cocky one. He doesn't like showing weakness at all, so he wouldn't show me something like that on purpose. If it's real, and he's in danger, then I think something must be getting ready to happen. I haven't seen him in a few weeks, after all. 
> 
> On the off chance that it's not real, I guess I'm asking for someone to interpret for me. Dreams can be pretty weird amalgamations of the subconscious, so. 
> 
> Anyway, that's my story. Have to head off now. Bye! - OWLET408 

After clicking the _post_ button on the paranormal forum website, Tiana Matthews ran a hand back through thick brown hair and spun around in her desk chair. It wasn't the first time she'd tried to write down the things bothering her, but it _was_ her first shot at putting it out for someone to see. Not even Dipper Pines, the boy who'd been helping her research, knew exactly what the issues were. Maybe it was a bad idea. She wasn't sure.

"I guess I'll just have to see," she mumbled. "If someone answers, great. If not...figure something out..." 

She got to her feet and glanced around the room, at the futon across from her little computer desk, at the basket overflowing with dirty socks and boxers, at the photographs of her and friends over the years on the wall. She felt like reminiscing, so she moved to the pictures and smiled. Most of them had been from the summer, because those three months had been some of the best of her life. 

She gripped the corner of one and tugged it off the wall. Dipper and Mabel, brown-haired twins, one in a sweater and the other in a baseball cap, hugging dark-skinned Tiana who was twice their height. Mabel's eyes were squeezed shut, Dipper was blushing, and Tiana herself had been caught mid-laugh. If she remembered right, that had been when they'd gone out and spent the whole day together on the lake. 

Another picture had Wendy Corduroy, the redheaded daughter of a local lumberjack, throwing sticky marshmallows at Tiana's hair. Around it was a shot of Dipper falling into a creek, one of Soos giving Mabel a piggyback ride through the forest, then one of Tiana sitting on a tree branch, wind blowing her hair out of her face, her expression at peace, and then her turning toward the camera with the corner of her lip quirked up. The last two had been taken by Wendy on the last day of the group's weekend camping trip back in the beginning of August. Probably, the best day of Tiana's whole summer, which meant it was the best day of her whole life. 

That had been the day Wendy had kissed her. 

Not for a dare, not as an accident - she'd just wanted to kiss her, so she did, right after those pictures. 

Looking back, she couldn't help blushing, because despite having kissed people before, it wasn't like those times. It'd just felt right. 

Tiana's phone buzzed. She picked it up off the floor and opened the message. It was from Wendy, speak of the devil. 

> **Win-dy Corduroy, 9:51**
> 
> hey nerd-ette.

> think i left some homework at the shack. mind going to get it? sorry to bug you, i'm just failing my math class.

Tiana rolled her eyes and chuckled. Since Wendy still worked after school, it wasn't a surprise for her to have forgotten something. She typed out her reply and sent it. 

> **You, 9:53**
> 
> of course, dearest. wouldn't want you to miss any more assignments. 
> 
> what time do you go to lunch? i can bring it by then.

Tiana tugged a green sweatshirt over her head and brushed through her hair quickly, grabbing her keys on the way out of her apartment. She was halfway down the street by the time Wendy replied. 

> **Win-dy Corduroy, 10:04**
> 
> oh look at you, gonna sneak in? 
> 
> hour and a half from now, give or take. bring by a pizza or something?

"This idiot..." 

> **You, 10:06**
> 
> it's not that hard, you know. really. 
> 
> you'd better pay me back, career girl.

Tiana put headphones on and played some soft music, then let herself get lost as her feet carried her through the town. Wendy worked at the Mystery Shack, Stanley Pines' tourist trap. It was way out into the woods, spooky signs pointing the way there, but since she'd visited more times than she could count, she didn't really need to think about it.

The Shack was a pretty run-down building, with broken windows and some of the letters on the roof collapsing, but that was mostly for the aesthetic. Weeds dotted the front lawn and Gompers the goat was chomping down on someone's license plate as usual. All in all, it looked about the same as it had over the summer, except...no twins. 

Tiana pat Gompers on the head before heading inside. "Ding," she said, because usually the bell on the door was broken. Today, though, she heard a little tinkling noise and gave a soft grunt of surprise. 

"We got our bell fixed!" That voice came from Melody, the Mystery Shack's current co-owner. Her honey-gold hair was in twin braids today, and she waved at Tiana from the cash register. "Soos finally got around to it. It's good to see you, Ti." 

Tiana laughed and moved over to the counter, hopping up to poke Melody on the nose. "You, too. I keep forgetting it's you and Soos running the Shack now. Nothing's really changed." 

Melody shrugged. "We're trying not to con anyone. That's different. How've you been? I haven't seen you in a while." 

"Well, you know...there's been a lot to do at the café." The brunette smoothed her skirt over her knees. "And I've been sleeping a lot. Being the bartender for the apocalypse takes a lot out of you." 

The month before, a cataclysmic event known as Weirdmaggedon had rocked Gravity Falls. Demons invaded, humans were hunted, and in the middle of it, Tiana had ended up at the demons' headquarters, the Fearamid, serving various drinks to her captors. It wasn't as bad for her as for a lot of others, so she was only exhausted instead of injured when all was said and done. 

Mostly, she was okay because of Bill. Bill, the head of the demons, the one responsible for the apocalypse, and...Tiana's friend. He'd been _vaguely_ kind to her. An ass, sure, but the bartending gig was his idea. Nobody had messed with her, roughed her up. They'd paid little mind, all things considered, just asking for refills of Time Punch when their glasses ran low. Sometimes she'd been allowed to get up and mingle, even though she usually didn't. It hadn't been all that bad. 

Now, Bill wasn't...in existence anymore. He'd been trapped in someone's mind, and then that mind had been erased, and Bill with it. Until her recent dream of the triangle's torture, Tiana hadn't heard anything from him whatsoever. Now she was almost worried, because he'd genuinely seemed in pain... 

Melody chuckled softly, and Tiana realized she'd been spacing out. The blonde tilted her head. "So, I know you're not here to buy anything..." 

Tiana's cheeks warmed. "Yeah...well, Wendy says she forgot her homework. Probably math. Have you seen it?" 

"You're in luck, Miss Matthews!" Melody reached beneath the counter and produced a red notebook with a torn cover. 

"Oh, great." The brunette sighed in relief, taking the book and hugging it to her chest. "I wouldn't wanna have to tell Wendy she was wrong. That's not a fun time." 

"Hey, then I guess I'm your savior." 

Tiana rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But really, thank you. And it was really good to see you, we should go hang out sometime soon." 

Melody's eyes sparkled. "Definitely! Maybe I can even get Soos to take a night off. You know how he is." 

"This job is his one true love. Sorry, Mel~"

Both girls started laughing, and then Melody gave Tiana a hug. "Take care, okay?" 

"I will. Stay out of trouble." The brunette gave one more wave before she walked back out the front door. 

Out in the forest, Tiana took one deep breath of fresh air before pulling out her phone. After sitting beneath a tree, her back to the trunk, she pulled up a website and ordered a pizza. Then, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of nature for a while. She started to think. 

What had her dream meant? Usually, Bill didn't show any real emotion besides manic glee. Sometimes there were hints of something more - rage, regret, emotions that didn't start with "r" - but they were few and far between. The amount of fear radiating from him in that dream, when he was changing from a flat triangle to a real _person..._ it was almost frightening to watch. Then there was the lizard's talk of punishment, and a mortal companion... 

_Is he going to come for me? It's a logical choice. He doesn't know anyone else in town very well and if he's so weak now, maybe he'll think it's better to find someone he's friendly with..._ She frowned. _Unless it wasn't real. Maybe it was just a funky dream..._

The woman shook her head and got to her feet. Thinking about it was probably pointless, and by the time she figured it out, it could easily be way past a time she could see Wendy. The trek back to town would be long enough that the pizza would be about ready, anyway, so off she went. 

A yellow leaf hit her in the mouth. She coughed a few times, and it crumbled into little wet masses of death. She spit it out. 

There wasn't anyone in line at the pizza place, so Tiana was able to get in and out within five minutes. When she checked her phone, there were two missed calls from Wendy. Three texts showed up when she unlocked it. "Weird..." 

> **Win-dy Corduroy, 11:22**
> 
> lunch is 11:45 
> 
> **Win-dy Corduroy, 11:24**
> 
> yo, you get that? 
> 
> **Win-dy Corduroy**
> 
> oh my god ti. come on. don't have been kidnapped or something.

Tiana sighed and rubbed at her cheek. Being a bit of an idiot, she neglected to think about the fact that she was holding both the pizza box and the notebook and one hand, and her phone? Her phone was in the hand she decided to rub with. The corner hit her eye and she cried out softly. "Dammit...okay, not doing that again." She typed out a message to Wendy. 

> **You, 11:39**
> 
> sorry sorry sorry. 
> 
> **You, 11:39**
> 
> My phone never buzzed??? But I'm on the way. Right now. I promise.

Wendy was waiting for her at the front of the school. 

She looked the picture of teenage confidence - hands in her pockets, one leg crossed over the other. Over red hair, she wore a baseball cap with a blue pine tree on it. A memento from Dipper. 

When she saw Tiana approaching, her face broke into a wide grin and she waved. "Yo! You took your sweet time." 

"Yeah, yeah," mumbled a blushing Tiana. She set Wendy's things down on the front steps and went in for a hug. "I swear, my phone must've stopped working for a while there. Sorry." 

"Don't worry about it, you brought the goods." 

The younger teen pulled back, and Tiana could get the first good look at her face in a week. Those freckles around her nose were bathed in pink and she had a bandage on her forehead. "What happened there?" 

"Oh, this?" Wendy tapped the bandage and wrinkled her nose. "Hiking trip. Nate hit me in the face with a stick. Idiot. But it's no big deal."

Tiana gave a soft sigh of relief and took Wendy by the hand, tugging her down to sit on the steps. "I'm glad it's not serious. Come on, we can eat and you can tell me anything that's been going on...your life is way more interesting than mine." 

As it turned out, there really wasn't anything happening for Wendy besides the aforementioned hiking incident, so before long, the girls were just eating quietly and looking up at the sky. 

Then Wendy broke the silence. "I wish we were the same age. Then we could actually date without it being weird." 

Tiana blushed once again and looked over. "You actually want to date me?" 

"Well, yeah." Wendy propped herself up on her elbow. "Why else would I have kissed you before? Remember, in the tree?" 

"I remember, I just..." 

Wendy sighed. "C'mon, Ti. You're cute, you're smart, and you're nice. Anyone into girls should wanna date you." 

"...you're being too nice to me. I'm average, Wen." Tiana shrugged. When Wendy put a hand over hers, the brunette gave her a look. "Don't you do that..." 

"You're like, my favorite person right now. I'm doing it." 

Of course, Wendy wanted to make her feel better. Of course. Sure, she was cool, but she was kind, too. Tiana rolled her eyes, and exaggerated the motion. "You're ridiculous." 

The redhead cracked a grin. "And you're an idiot."

"You know, that's actually a fair assessment, more I think about it." The older girl turned her gaze up to the cloudy sky again. 

After a few more minutes passed, Wendy broke the silence again. "Something's on your mind. Tell me." 

Tiana's cheeks puffed out. 

"Tiana." 

With that serious tone of voice, Wendy Corduroy was not to be ignored. "...you know how I don't have dreams much?" A nod from the redhead. "A few days ago, I had one about...Bill. And he was chained up in some void, and there was a giant lizard guy, who said that Bill was...I guess he was on trial, for all his stupid plans and plots. And the lizard said something...Bill was gonna lose all his power. And he was gonna have to...to find some 'mortal companion,' whatever that means. And then his shape changed. He was a naked human, and then I woke up." 

Wendy's brows furrowed under Dipper's cap. "Sounds like he's in some deep shit." 

"That's an understatement." Tiana snorted. "I think I'm just...a little freaked out, because I usually don't have dreams, and Bill's not supposed to exist anymore." 

"Maybe you're just stressed. Wouldn't surprise me, since you're basically an anxious mass of flesh..." Wendy's grin became more of a smirk. 

Tiana smacked the other girl's shoulder. "You are the worst, Wendy!" 

"Hey, hey!" Wendy put up her arms in mock self-defense. "Just calling it like I see it. I think you need to get out and actually do something, help lessen the whole..." She gestured wildly. "...nervous thing. Maybe we can go see a movie tomorrow night. There's one out about-" 

The lumberjack was cut off by the ringing of the school bell. Lunch was over. 

Wendy groaned and scrunched up her nose. "Dammit!" 

"Language," mumbled Tiana, before helping the other girl to her feet. "I better get going anyway. Since I'm a legal adult, it probably looks weird for me to be hanging around." 

"Right. You'll be okay out there?" It sounded kind of like a joke, but it was hard to be sure with Wendy. 

"Probably." 

The girls embraced, and Wendy walked off to class, notebook under her arm. Right before she vanished from sight she turned and started to walk backwards. "Don't get attacked by monsters on your way home!"

Tiana stood there for a solid five minutes before snapping out of her reverie and turning around. Since lunch was over for students, the afternoon shift at the café would be starting soon, and Tiana hadn't yet missed any work hours. She wasn't about to start now. She took off down the street in a dead sprint.

She hadn't gotten five feet before she found herself, somehow, in the woods again. 

She stopped in her tracks, brows furrowed, eyes widening as she whirled around. The street should be there, just behind her, but it wasn't! There were only trees, dead leaves, and an ominous wind in all directions. 

"Oh...oh, no..." 

What was going on? She hadn't gotten _that_ lost in her thoughts, had she? No, that was next to impossible, and she didn't believe so much in her own ignorance...even though in Gravity Falls, the impossible happened with frightening regularity. 

A soft whimper tore itself from Tiana's throat. She took three timid steps backward, then, as if on instinct, froze in place. Something was telling her not to move a muscle. 

Color faded from her surroundings - the brown of the tree bark, the reds and golds of dead leaves, the muted green of the grass. The shadows in the spaces between the trees thickened and turned to darkness, and out of that darkness came a thing so pale and emaciated she didn't see how it could be a living thing. 

Milky white skin was stretched taught over long, spindly limbs, teeth like twigs stuck out of a mouth without lips, and the eyes... 

Oh, _God,_ the **eyes!**

They were bloodshot, perfect circles sunk deep into that face. 

The thing moved like a spider, too fast to see. It crept from the side of a tree to three feet in front of Tiana, head flickering from side to side as if unable to see her. 

She stayed still, and quiet. Some gut feeling, maybe some long-forgotten piece of supernatural trivia, told her the thing's sight was based on movement. 

For forty-five tense, gut-wrenching seconds, the thing scurried around the woman in a circle, testing the air for her scent. 

Then, it scuttled off into the trees, and she started to run.

The thing let out a blood-curdling screech and Tiana could _hear_ it crashing after her as she stumbled through bushes and branches. 

She tripped over an exposed root and tumbled down, down for what felt like minutes, and by the time it was over, there were long gashes running down her forearms. The blood soaked through the torn fabric of her sweatshirt, staining the fabric orange. 

She rolled onto her back and sobbed. "No...nonono...please..." 

The thing was there, those horrible limbs trapping her body in a vice, and she could _feel_ its rancid breath on her face, and she knew somewhere deep in her mind that the only reason she wasn't dead was the fact that it hadn't had prey in a long time. 

On impulse, she dug her nails into one of her cuts and then dragged them across the thing's chest. With a scream, she shoved a three-fingered claw in its direction, and it flew backward. 

Tiana scrambled to her feet and dashed onward. 

Then she was in her bedroom. It wasn't so much the disorientation and nausea of suddenly being teleported as much as it was pain and fear and shock that made her collapse on the hardwood floor. 

She curled into a ball and began to shake. 

"Oh god oh god oh god, no, no please, god..." 

A soft yellow glow flared to life somewhere above her, and with brown eyes watery with tears, she looked up. Floating in the middle of the room was a young man who looked like he was in his early twenties, with brown-blond hair that could easily cover most of his face, freckles almost hidden in tan skin, and a sneer that could only belong to one being Tiana had ever met.

"God...Bill, I swear, if that was you..." Her voice was hard to make out, her words slurred. 

The humanoid Bill Cipher (because of course it was him) leaned backward and howled with laughter, arms clutching his stomach. "Holy shit, Owlet! That was some quick thinking with the blood magic."

"Luck...instinct..." The girl pushed herself to a sitting position, knees pulled to her chest. "That was a...a wendigo, wasn't it..? First Nations folklore..." 

"Yup. Figured that would freak you out the most." 

She scoffed, then coughed. "Yeah. Good going. I almost peed myself." 

Bill leaned forward, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and pulling her to her feet. "That would've been funny. You should clean out those scrapes. I need you in peak physical condition for a while." 

"Please don't possess me," Tiana muttered, then stumbled into her bathroom. She pulled some medical supplies from the cabinet, tugged off her ruined sweater, and got to work. 

"Nah, that's not what I need you for." The dream demon appeared behind her in the mirror, and in surprise, she jolted backward so hard that a toilet paper roll fell off the shelf above her head and hit her. "...ha!"

That was the point when Tiana Matthews' mind momentarily snapped, and she collapsed on the floor, sobbing. 

Bill froze. Clearly, that wasn't what he'd expected to happen. Usually Tiana put up with his antics with nothing more than a sigh and the occasional stern word, so this...this was new.

He flipped upside down and fluffed her hair a little. "Uh...Owlet?" 

"Y...yes, Triangle?" Tiana sniffled. 

"You, uh...look, kid, I like pain, but not this kinda pain." The demon started to poke at her cheeks. "So pull yourself together and get ready to listen to me, because boy, do I have a story for you." 

Without looking, Tiana raised a hand, made a three-fingered claw (the same gesture she'd used against the wendigo), and shoved it at Bill, who tumbled backward into the mirror. 

The blond groaned loudly and flipped upright. "You know, you're a real jerk sometimes." 

There was a scoff from the pile of angst. "At least I'm not in trouble with a giant lizard." 

Bill blinked. "You know about that?" 

"Had a dream." 

"Oh." 

"Which is why I'm not confused about your body." 

"Oh." 

"And not really confused about you being here." 

Bill crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay, so you're gonna come with me?" 

"Didn't say that..." 

"But Owwwwwlet!" 

One of Tiana's eyes became visible over her bloodied arms. "I don't wanna be a slave." 

"Well..." Bill scrunched up his nose. "It's not exactly like that. I'm not gonna whip you or make you do manual labor or anything like that." 

"Then...what's it supposed to be like..?" 

The dream demon hummed quietly in thought, then seemed to come to a decision and shrugged. "It's like you'll be a doll. You follow me around and look pretty." 

"Because human flesh sacks are visually appealing." Tiana shifted so she was sitting cross-legged, wiping at her eyes. "I'm not sure I follow." 

"It'll be easier to explain if you come with me now. Then I can kind of show you." 

"And why exactly should I trust that you won't hurt me?" 

With a sigh, Bill reached down and pulled the human to her feet by her forearms, which made her wince. Then he started to dab her wounds with cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol. "This is why. I'm helping you. That was our deal, remember? I'm your friend, and in exchange, you do me a little favor every so often." 

Tiana cleared her throat. She wasn't making eye contact with the demon, her gaze resting instead on the sink. "This is a big favor. Becoming a...a _doll_ just so you can rise to power again...how long is this supposed to take?" 

"Depends. Considering nobody likes me in the demon world, it might be a while. Like a long while." Bill shrugged. 

The girl just sighed. "I have a life, you know. It's small and kinda bleak, but it's _my_ life." 

"That's funny." 

"I'm serious, Triangle!" Tiana pulled her arm from his grip and held it to her chest. Her voice started to rise in volume and pitch. "I have a job, I have friends! I've been trying to make plans with people, with Melody and Soos and Wendy-" 

Bill leaned forward and pinned the woman to the wall behind her, hands on either side of her head. Her flinch only seemed to make him smirk. "Listen, Owlet. I have one shot - _one_ \- to get myself back to the way I'm supposed to be. The only reason I didn't just grab you and drag you out of this stupid dimension is the fact that I kind of like you. You're one of the more interesting humans out there. With the sheer malleability of your mind, I could shape you into a paranoid freak who sees monsters in every shadow, every crevice. I could make your life a living hell. So..." 

He dragged one gloved thumb across Tiana's trembling lower lip. She whimpered. He leaned in close to her ear, and she squeezed her eyes shut. 

"...so you'd better calm yourself down and listen to me. Deal?" 

The brunette took one deep, trembling breath. "I...d-deal." 

Bill moved backward and cracked a smile. "Good! Let's get you patched up and then we'll leave." 

He waved a hand, and Tiana's injuries vanished. "What..?" 

"Say goodbye to your dimension, Owlet!" 

The last thing Tiana was aware of was Bill's hands clamping down on her forearms. 

His laughter echoed through the infinite darkness that closed in on her.


	3. Welcome to Hell!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all. A here. Just wanting to thank you all for reading, and to announce that I'm looking around for people willing to maybe do some concept art for this story, to help both me and any readers better visualize things. I plan on this being pretty long and large in scope, so reference pictures might be helpful. I already have a couple of concepts thrown out for Tiana and a character introduced in this chapter, and you can see them if you go to @TheButtOfFluff on Twitter (somewhere in my media). Just throwing that out there - enjoy the chapter!

For a while, it was just dark. 

It wasn't just the absence of light. That would've been bearable. 

This darkness was a physical force. It tore the air from her lungs, pushed in on her from all directions, ripped at her body and mind and soul until there was nothing left but a vaguely human entity. 

Images flashed in its mind: long, lingering glances at a rack of dresses at some clothing store as a hand tugged harshly at their sender's; a dark-skinned woman, her mouth curled in a sneer, a steak knife in one hand; throngs of young students standing in a circle, pointing, jeering, spitting; long hours spent hidden at the bottom of a messy closet; blood spreading across that dark-skinned woman's chest, her face a broken mirror of surprise, eyes on the smaller, slightly lighter hand clutching the hilt of the knife she'd been stabbed with. 

The darkness pressed in. Just breathing was impossible, let alone trying to move and thrash. Limbs curled in on a torso and the being screamed in silence. 

Then, the pressure lessened.

The darkness lightened, became more an orange silt all around. 

_I...am...Tiana._

With one deep, shuddering breath, the entity stretched out its body completely. 

It wasn't an it, it was a she, a human, a _person_ named Tiana Matthews. 

She knew who she was. 

She opened her eyes, and almost immediately, she shut them again. The light was too bright. 

Her knees were on a carpet, but not one that made her itch. It was soft and comfortable. Her chest felt light, her waist heavy, and for one horrible instant she was afraid that her body wasn't _hers,_ that it had reverted, but then her proportions shifted and though she didn't feel normal, exactly, she felt much better. 

Bill's voice rang out from above. "Wow. You didn't do half bad. Most humans would've dissolved completely."

Tiana gave a racking cough and opened her eyes, squinting. She let them adjust before she spoke. "That was...horrifying." 

"Yup. Void of Chaos. It's not quite the Nightmare Realm, but it's good enough." Bill stretched out and crossed his legs, leaning back in midair. "Get up, jeez. You look too submissive down there." 

The female blushed and got to her feet, hands tucked under her armpits as she glanced at her new surroundings. "Gonna give me the tour..?" 

The pair were in the lower part of what looked like a large apartment. A pair of couches and a coffee table took up most of the space in the middle. There was a loft on the opposite end, with a bedroom area on top and a staircase to the lower level on either side of a combination library and kitchen. 

(That didn't seem safe to Tiana, but since this was a new world, the laws of physics could very well work differently.) 

Bill spread his hands with a manic laugh. "Welcome to your new home for all eternity! You've got basically everything you need here. You don't leave this room without me, or you'll dissolve into the primordial soup of chaos you came from way back when. If you need or want anything you ask me to get it. Oh, and you listen to me and do whatever I tell you to do. Got it?" 

"Um..." Tiana sucked her lower lip between her teeth. "That's...a lot to take in. But I...guess I understand..." 

"Good. I've gotta leave for now, go get some things. Specifically for you. Most of what I've got here is just general _human_ junk, so if you've got preferences or requests for the start, speak now or forever hold your peace." He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand. 

The girl tilted her head and frowned. "Well, uh...I don't...I don't know, really. I don't know what's here and what's not. I mean, I can see the books, but...how about you put ideas in my head? Because I can't think of anything..." 

"Right, okay." Bill adopted a stance like a professor, his back ramrod straight. A pointer appeared in his hand, and he waved it around as he listed things off. "Right now, there's a couple books from every popular fiction series right now and encyclopedias. There's basic foods - bread, cheese, deli meat, fruits. Bar of soap in the shower. Sweatpants and plain T-shirts. I'm especially concerned about what you want for clothes, because you're not exactly a normal human when it comes to your body." 

"And what's that supposed to mean?" 

"Well...you didn't start off the way you did now, did ya? I'm thinking you probably want dresses and more girly stuff, by human standards, but demon standards are way more varied, so think of whatever you want. No tuxedos or male things, right?" 

Tiana focused her gaze on the carpet below where the demon was floating. "I like...androgynous things. But...yeah, dresses and skirts...those are okay. You're right..." Unconsciously, she ran her hand across her chest. It was heavier than she remembered. 

Bill nodded a few times, apparently making a note in his mind. "You know what? You don't seem sure. Just make a list. I can always go back out. In the meantime, you smell like forest and deer poo, so go take a bath."

"I'm kind of surprised you can smell...and that you can identify what deer crap smells like." 

"This new body is amazing." The demon snickered. "I'm kinda looking forward to seeing how flustered it can get you. We're gonna have more fun than you can imagine, Owlet." And in a flash of yellow, he disappeared.

Tiana blinked and glanced around. She was alone, suddenly, and she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to be. This was a new, unfamiliar place, and despite the colors being muted and complimentary (mostly blues and oranges) her eyes hurt. 

With nothing else to do, she decided to follow Bill's instructions and bathe, but where was the bathroom? She made her way up to the loft by way of the left-hand stairs. A full-sized bed with an inordinate amount of pillows and a plush yellow comforter stood in the center of the area, with a three-panel, floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the abyss of orange nothingness beyond the walls. Quaint. 

A wooden trapdoor was between the bed and the railing at the edge of the loft. It stood out against the cool marble of the rest of the floor, so it was easy to notice. Curious, Tiana knelt and pulled it open. Inside, it was dark. She couldn't see anything.

"Okay, Bill...let's see what nightmare you've put down here..." 

The brunette dropped down into the room, which was immediately illuminated by small floating orbs of light. Looking around, she saw what was basically a hot tub encased in wood that took up about half the area, and not much else. There was a towel laying over the side of the tub and a mirror against the opposite wall. 

She tried the faucets and found that the water was hot, exactly the way she liked it. Strange. 

"I guess this is where I bathe, then." She tugged her tank top over her head and pulled down her skirt and leggings. Her reflection in the mirror caught her gaze and she turned fully toward it, tilting her head. Her body looked much curvier than she remembered, with wider hips and a thinner waist. It almost made her feel a little uncomfortable, but then again, she liked looking more feminine. 

She shook her head and stripped nude, turning her mind to other matters as she waited for the tub to fill up. When it did, she slid under the water with a blissful sigh. After the day she'd had, after the encounter with the wendigo and the sudden transportation to here...it felt nice to be able to relax like this.

And eventually, she fell asleep, and for once in her life began to dream. 

She was in a cave atop a mountain, kneeling before a cloaked woman. Her knees were folded under her, and a cup of tea was in her hands. 

The woman raised her head. She had seven eyes. "You've finally come. I was getting worried."

Tiana nodded slowly. "I...didn't mean to be away for so long. I'm sorry." 

"Don't apologize, my dear girl. You are here now." She set one hand on the girl's head and stroked her hair. "We have much to discuss." 

"But...I don't even know who you are. I mean, I know you're important...I've seen you, I think, and this, being here...this feels right. But..." 

"I am Jheselbraum the Unswerving." 

A cool breeze seemed to clear Tiana's mind, leaving it refreshed and calm. "The Oracle. Mr. Ford...he met you once." 

"Yes, child." Jheselbraum sank to her knees across from the girl and folded her hands across her lap. 

"...you want to talk about Bill. He..." Tiana bit her lip. Her gaze fell. "I don't trust him, exactly..but I don't think his plan is to...to hurt me or use me somehow." 

Jheselbraum nodded. "He could have chosen any mortal to be his companion. The laws specify only that there is one. Why do you think he chose you?" 

The brunette hummed. "We've known each other for...a good portion of my life. And we've never really butted heads...I think he figured that if there was anyone who'd come quietly, who wouldn't fight, it'd be me." 

"He wasn't wrong." 

"No." Tiana took a sip of her tea. It tasted like a cloud. 

"And you want to help him." 

"...I feel bad for him. I mean...yeah, okay, what he was trying to do would've hurt a lot of people...but it's not his fault that humans can't handle his idea of fun." 

Jheselbraum inclined her head, as if she agreed. "Your kind tends to break quickly under the influence of chaos. That isn't your fault, but a result of human nature." 

"Right...I guess I'm different." Tiana moved a hand to rub at her shoulder. 

"Your mind is a rare form." The Oracle waved a hand, and an image appeared in smoke: Tiana in the center of a web of occult symbols. "Few humans have the willpower necessary to even witness the extra normal. You, on the other hand, are able to not only see but understand, and look beyond. Even Stanford Pines only dabbled in magic, and his blood was of no use to him there."

The girl blushed. "It's really not that I do much...I just..." 

Jheselbraum cut her off with another hand wave. "You wanted a way to fight Bill if it ever came to it, and as far as you knew, nobody had tried blood magic." 

"Has anyone..?" There was a sort of fragile light in her eyes. 

"That is not for me to say," murmured the Oracle. When Tiana looked down, she tilted the girl's chin back up and almost smiled. "You'll discover much on this journey with Bill, Tiana Matthews. You'll understand more. And, dear...watch out for the Valkyrie. That one will be a challenge for you." 

Mist clouded her vision, and the dream changed. 

She was floating in a dark void, much like the one Bill had been tried in during her first dream. The darkness surrounding her became lighter, shifting into clouds of blue and pink, and then one large lizard appeared before her.

Tiana blinked. "I've seen you before..." 

The lizard hummed, a sweet, happy sound. "I am the Axolotl," said the Axolotl. 

Tiana floated forward, then came to a rest on top of his head. "Axolotl...like the Aztec god..?" 

"He is where my name is from. It's rather fitting, isn't it?" 

"God of twins...yeah, real fitting..." She tilted her head to one side. "Why am I here?" 

The Axolotl hummed again. "You went willingly when he called to you. I just thought I'd warn you - this may end badly if you trust him." 

"Bill. Oh...I sort of figured. I mean, no offense, he's just..." The girl made a strangling motion with her hands. "...you know?" 

"I know very well. You saw what happened here." 

Tiana blushed. "Yeah. That was...vaguely disturbing." 

The Axolotl's fins moved and a cloud caressed her cheek. "There, there. If you like, I can erase that memory for you."

"No, no." Tiana shook her head, chuckling softly. "It's not that big a deal. Just looked painful." 

"Yes...he's not used to that kind of pain. Nobody is.

"I feel bad for him," said Tiana. 

The Axolotl didn't respond. 

"I just...don't know if he deserved that. I mean, he did, he's done a lot of bad, but...still..."

The Axolotl made a sound that almost sounded like a sigh. "It was the only thing I could do. In his final moments, he called for me, and so I couldn't sentence him to oblivion." 

Tiana fiddled with a strand of hair. "He has a chance to get his power back," she muttered. 

"He does. But that's only if you help him...will you?" 

The girl froze, blinking rapidly as her brows furrowed inward. Sure, she'd gone willingly with Bill, but to _help_ him regain power? Help him back to where he would be able to attack Gravity Falls again, and inflict unspeakable horrors on the world? 

Did she want to do that? 

No. 

Except she cared about the stupid jerk, enough to be willing to give it a shot. Did that make her a bad person? 

"You aren't bad," murmured the Axolotl. 

As the clouds closed in around her, Tiana felt a warmth fill her chest, and was reassured. 

For a while she wasn't dreaming anymore, just sleeping, in a dark, featureless rest. bliss. 

A shrill voice from above cried out, "HEY, OWLET!" 

Tiana screamed and flailed as her eyes flew open. Water splashed over the sides of the tub and she whimpered. "Frick?! Why?!" 

Bill had stuck his head through the trapdoor upside-down, and now he was staring at her with a leering grin on his face. "Woah there, kid. You're not supposed to be so surprised to see me!" 

"I was asleep and you just, you just showed up like that and you _scared_ me, Bill!" Her voice was wavering. She noticed Bill's eyes flicking over her body, and she crossed her arms over her chest, turning to face the wall. "Why didn't you...knock, or something?!" 

The blond dropped into the bathroom, arms akimbo. "I have a surprise for you! Turns out, I can't get clothes made to your dimensions without you physically being there." 

"And..?" 

"Get out here and I'll show you, idiot." He brushed a gloved hand against Tiana's cheek and caught her chin in a strong, vice-like grip. "You can either come right now, or I'll drag you out soaking wet." 

The girl shook. "I'll get out now. Please let me dress in peace." 

Thankfully, Bill flew back out, and so Tiana was able to dry off and wrap a fluffy towel around her body. before pulling herself up to the loft.

She looked over the railing to see Bill hovering next to another figure, whose orange hair seemed to shift in length from one side of the head to the other. The figure was looking down at a sheaf of glowing papers. 

Bill saw Tiana and waved her down. "This is Eri. Fashion designer." 

Eri looked up and blinked. "You're Tiana?" 

"Yeah. It's nice to meet you." She extended a hand. Eri just looked back down. "...so...how does this work?" 

Eri mumbled something before answering. "You stand there. I measure you." 

"Oh. Do I need to drop the towel, or..?" 

With a snap of Eri's fingers, a tape measure appeared and wound itself around Tiana's waist. "I'll get the thickness and account for it. Just hold still." 

Tiana's brows furrowed. She turned to meet Bill's eyes. 

"Trust the system, Owlet. Anyway, guess what? Eri here used to be a Valkyrie! Legendary defender of Asgard!" He grinned and let out a laugh.

_A Valkyie?_ Tiana frowned. _The Oracle mentioned a Valkyrie..._

Eri shot a glare in Bill's direction. "Key word being _used_ to." 

"...riiiight. You just like making clothes now, and drinking." 

The tape measure wrapped around Tiana's chest. Eri gave a heaving sigh. "I'm charging double for those comments." 

Bill's jaw dropped, and Tiana giggled. "You have money, right Bill? I mean...I'd hate for Eri to have come all this way and not get paid." 

A fire flared up in the demon's eye. "I have money, just not all that much. There's _nothing_ for me to do to get more without selling you is all, and that's _not_ happening." 

"Well, aren't you possessive." Eri huffed before setting a cold hand between Tiana's shoulder blade and dragging it down. 

The brunette let out a shriek and arched her back. "Why?!" 

"Fun." Eri almost smirked. "Your demon is funny, isn't he?" 

An "I resent that" sounded from Bill, who'd moved to the library. 

Tiana shivered, then shook her head. "I guess...he's more scary than anything, though."

"Don't let him bother you that much," muttered Eri into her ear. "You've a strong soul. I don't have all my powers anymore, but I can still see that." 

That made Tiana blink a few times, and before she found something to say in response, Eri had moved away. By then, the tape measure had finished with her thighs and vanished. 

"...so then, are we...done..?" She tugged the towel tighter around her. 

Eri made a few notes on that glowing paper and shrugged. "No. Still need to determine the fabrics, styles...you have any allergies?" 

"Coconuts and olives." Okay, so she knew those probably weren't what Eri meant, but in this world, where she'd be voyaging across dimension and anything was possible? She figured she'd better mention it.

"Olives...okay. What kinds of clothes do you prefer wearing?" 

"Like I told Bill, I'm basically fine with anything androgynous or feminine. I'm not...super picky, honestly, just no suits." 

Eri nodded. "That's kind of sad. You'd look good in a tie." 

Tiana's cheeks flushed. 

Eri almost laughed. "I'm teasing you. You'd look good, but I won't put you in one. Get you a test..." The former Valkyrie made a few more notes, then tapped the papers, which disappeared. Then, Eri waved a hand, and a shimmery orange dress appeared on Tiana's body. " _Now_ we're done. Unless your master wants me to stay...but there's something you two need to do that I refuse to be here for."

"Oh." Tiana tried for a little smile. "Then...I guess this is goodbye." 

"Goodbye for now." Eri nodded and vanished. 

With a deep breath, Tiana turned and walked purposefully to the library, where Bill was floating upside-down with a book in his hands. 

She cleared her throat. "We're alone again. And I have clothes on now." 

Bill dropped the book and grinned, taking in the lack of sleeves, the sashes tied on her shoulders and middle fingers, the low backline. "Not bad. That weirdo has an eye, I'll say that." 

There was a full-on blush then. "Stop being creepy, Bill..." 

"Jeez, I'm just saying." He flew a few circles around her, muttering softly. 

Something started to nag at Tiana, something that Eri had said to her. "Uh...s-so...I'm not sure you've been completely...f-forthright with all this." 

"Forthright? Wow, kid." 

"Don't...Eri said something...didn't wanna be here when we did...something. What's that something..?" 

Bill suddenly shot up ramrod-straight, tugging at the suspenders of his new suit (when had he gotten a new suit? What the heck?!) with a ridiculously smug grin. "We're going to mark you. _I'm_ going to mark you." 

And in that moment, Tiana decided she didn't like the sound of that, and started to furiously backpedal while Bill loomed closer and closer.

The backs of her knees collided with the glass coffee table in the center of the loft, forcing her to stop. 

Once again, the demon caught her chin in that harsh grip, and she began to tremble. 

"Hold still and it won't hurt that much." He traced his free hand down her neck, her shoulder, her arm, and stopped just before her elbow. He pressed his palm into the soft flesh, and it started to burn. 

Tiana released a bloody screech and wrenched herself away, arm clutched to her chest, stumbling past the couches and toward where she wished there was a front door. 

Nothing but a cold wall. 

She risked a glance to her arm as Bill advanced. 

Burned into her skin was a triangle with a top hat and one eye. 

"You're _branding_ me?!" Tiana cried out. "I didn't - I didn't agree to that!" 

"You agreed to be _mine!"_ Bill's voice was amplified by rage, his aura turning red. "You need to _let_ me or none of this will work!"

Wow, _he sounds like an obsessive lover,_ thought Tiana. 

She tilted her chin up. "I don't understand _why_ you need to _burn_ something _into my skin!"_

Bill bent backward almost double with a low groan. "So they know you belong to someone! If they don't, you might get snatched up and eaten and that'll be it! No more Tiana, and no more powers for me!"

_"That's_ what you're concerned about now?! I thought you were done using me!" 

"Hey, you agreed to come with me-" 

"You said you wouldn't hurt me!" 

"SHUT UP." 

Tiana froze, her lip trembling, and the room went so quiet that she could hear her own heartbeat. 

Bill pressed his palm to his forehead and dragged it down. "Look...if I didn't have to, I wouldn't. But a mark like that will keep you safe from the more predatory guys out there. They'll sense that you're mine, and they won't mess with you. 

"I get that it sucks, but if you don't do it, you're absolutely screwed. I'm not willing to risk that. I need you here, with me, because you're the mortal I chose to be mine, and if I lose you, I lost everything. Other slaves'll come and go and that won't matter. As long as you're here, I have a shot." 

The girl swallowed with great difficulty, then took a deep breath. "...is it permanent?" 

Bill seemed to consider the question. "Depends, I guess. Once I have my power back, I should be able to get rid of it. Only issue is that it might be a while before that happens...you've got your own magic, though. After all's said and done you can probably do it yourself." He leaned forward, hands on either of Tiana's shoulders. "Let me do this and I'll do everything I can to remove it when this is over. Deal?"

"...deal." Tiana breathed a sigh of something that was close to relief, but not quite it. 

The blond demon put his palm back to the burn for a few more seconds. Then, he half-smirked and moved back. "Okay. Now comes your part. Get on your knees." 

She frowned, but knelt, her head bowed. 

"Now repeat after me. 'I, Tiana Matthews,'" 

"I-I, Tiana Matthews..." 

"'Pledge myself to your rule, command, and service,'" 

"Pledge myself to your rule, c-command, and service..." 

"'Until your power is returned to you.'" 

"Until your...your power is returned to you." 

"'My name is yours. My soul is yours.'" 

"My name is yours. M-my soul is...yours..." 

"'My very being is yours to hold as your own.'" 

Tiana repeated the last sentence, and a cold feeling blossomed beneath her right eye. She reached up to brush her fingertips over the skin, but felt nothing. She looked up to Bill in confusion, but expectant, too. 

He nodded. "It's done. Now you should get some rest...it's been a long day for you, I can tell. Welcome to your new life, Owlet." 

_Welcome to hell,_ thought Tiana sarcastically.


End file.
